Sunday 21 January 2018

18 Books I Want to Read in 2018

If you look at my Bookish Resolutions for 2018 there is one big one that I am hoping to follow - to buy less books! I am hoping that by buying less books I will have time to make a dent in my backlog of to-be-read books which are simply PILING UP, just LOOK:  
My TBR pile is getting a bit ridiculous
And that is just my physical TBR pile! It doesn't include the hundreds of books on my kindle, or the dozens of audiobooks I have on my phone. Basically, I have way too many books to read and too little time! (Isn't that the universal problem?) I'm hoping by buying less books I will be able to focus more on my backlog, and prioritise some of the books I want to read this year. Below are are just some of the backlog books I'm hoping to get to this year (at least the ones which I own physical copies of - so many others are on my Kindle). 
Just some of the books I want to read in 2018 - so many more on the Kindle!
 As you can see by the pile, I have quite a bit to get to this year! Following some of my other Bookish Resolutions (LINK), most of these are non-YA, as I am trying to read less YA this year. I think it is a good mixture of genres, although I am lacking in contemporaries (any suggestions?). Most of these books have been in my TBR pile for over a year, and I've decided if I don't read them this year I probably won't get to them ever, and should give them away. Hopefully it doesn't come to that - I always feel so bad giving away books I've never read - it's like I've disappointed the author, or the book itself. Anyways, these are the 18 books (or series in some cases) that I want to finally get to in 2018. 

1. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by James Adams 

One of my friends at work gave this to me ages ago and told me it was the perfect thing for someone who loves geeky stuff. I honestly don't know much about it, but I want to read it this year because she, and everyone else I know, apparently loves this book (But not the movie - I've been told to not watch it!). I also feel terrible it's taken me so long to get too so this year for sure!

2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
As a feminist I am ashamed I haven't read this. I haven’t even watched the show yet, because I felt I needed to read the book first before I did! I've been meaning to read this for over a year, but - I'm not going to lie - I was having trouble getting into the mood to read such a bleak book when the news stories out in the world seemed depressing enough. I hope to get to it soon - but even now, I feel hard-pressed to read something I know is going to depress me. But as a Canadian I have to read something of Margaret Atwood's eventually, and given the currently political climate this seems the best option!

3. Discovery of Witches Trilogy by Deborah Harkness (Books #2 and #3)

I read the first book in this series ages ago and loved it. I loved the mix of paranormal and history, all set in modern-day Oxford. With the new movie in production I figured I best get going on completing the series! I recently bought the second and third book of this trilogy for super cheap at a discount bookstore, so now I have no excuse not to read them now. 

4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Unlike most people, I actually really like the movie adaptation of this book with Keria Knightly in it (I think partially because the soundtrack is AMAZING). Anyways, it really sparked my interest in reading the book but the size of this novel has continually kept me from reading it. It is huge. I am hoping that with the extra spare time I now have because I am done law school that I can finally get to reading this massive tome.

5. Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (Seraphina #2)
I adored Seraphina when I read it the year it came out - which was 2012. I bought Shadow Scale as soon as it came out... and then proceeded to never read it. I really did love the first book - I thought the world was something completely unique to anything I had ever read, and that Rachel Hartman had a wonderful writing style which captured the magic of the dragons she wrote about - humanising them while still making them intimidating. I've heard mixed reviews of Shadow Scale, but I would like to determine for myself what I think. I'll probably have to re-read Seraphina thought because at this point it's been almost 6 years!

6. Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansson (Tearling #2)
Another example where I loved the first book, and then proceeded to put off reading the sequel. I recommended Queen of the Tearling to one of my best friends a year ago and she has officially finished the trilogy while I am still here having not completed the second and third books. I own the second book and I want to finish the trilogy this year, if possible! I loved the blend of fantasy and dystopian of the first novel, I adored Kelsea as a realistically flawed heroine, and I can't wait to see how Kelsea grows into her role as Queen. I've heard the next book is amazing, if pretty dark, but I'm excited to read it!

7. Snow like Ashes Trilogy by Sara Raasch

Yet another book series where I have put off reading the sequel! I read Snow Like Ashes shortly after its release and really enjoyed it - I loved the magic world based around the seasons, and I actually liked the love triangle! It's one of the few books where I was okay with the love triangle - which is pretty rare. However; I've heard such mixed things about the second and third book that I've put off continuing the series. I've hear, sadly, that the author destroys my favourite character in the novel for the sake of the love triangle - which I am really not looking forward to reading! I do think though that I should read the next book, Ice like Fire in the series to judge for myself how the series progresses - I am really hoping it holds up. 

8. Raven Cycle by Maggie Stefivater (Books #3 and 4)

I know, I know - I haven't finished The Raven Cycle yet, go ahead and shame me. I like these books, but I don't seem to love them the way everyone else does. I really liked the first one, was meh on the second book (I know I don't love Ronan - again come at me) - but I own signed copies of the third and fourth book so I feel like I should probably read them! I think I just need to be in the right mood to be as engrossed in Maggie Stefivater's writing - its absolutely beautiful and captivating, but definitely not something you casually read - it's the kind of writing you have to take time to appreciate and work through for the nuances. I think this summer I will re-read the first two books of this series and finally complete this quartet. 

9. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 

I just need to read this. I've only heard good things and I want to become as addicted as everyone else. 


10. The Hangman's Daughter Series by Oliver Potzsch (Books #2-5)
I own the first five books in this series, and I've only read the first one... so yeah clearly I have a lot to get through! This series is set in 18th Century Germany, and follows Jakob Kuisl, the local hangman and town outcast, and his family - including beautiful daughter Magdalena, as they team up with the local physician to solve a variety of mysteries that pop up in the area. I absolutely devoured the first book in this series, where Jakob tries to prove the innocence of a local medicine woman accused of witchcraft. It was gruesome in some areas, but excellent. And then I picked up the rest of the series... and never read them. I really liked the first one so I think it's about time I finish them (since I own five)!



11. Falling Kingdoms Series by Morgan Rhodes (Books #1-4)
This is yet another series where I own the majority of the books in the series and haven't read any of them. There was a kindle sale one day and the first four books were $1.99 so I went a bit crazy and bought them all. Right now this is looking like a waste of money because I haven't read any of them but I really want to! I hear they are addictive trashy fantasy and they might be good for some binge-read one day! I've been told they are YA Game of Thrones - with multiple perspectives, and warring kingdoms - all of which sounds amazing. I'm hoping to maybe do a 24hr reading marathon one snowy (or rainy) day in the coming months and just hunker down and read these. 


12. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The only Jane Austen novel I have yet to read and I absolutely need to finish it so that I can say I have read Austen's complete works. I haven't read this in part because it's my least favourite BBC mini-series, so I am expecting it to be my least favourite book. However, I was expecting to love Northanger Abbey and didn't so maybe this book will surprise me! It's on my Classics to Read in 2018 list, so I will definitely be getting to it this spring. I can't be a true Janeite without reading it.  



13. Green Rider by Kristen Britain
This book has been on pause on my Kindle for AGES (like 2+ years). I stopped at 25% and never picked it up again. It wasn't bad at all, I just wasn't in the mood for epic fantasy - but this is a fantasy series sounds EPIC with a female protagonist taking up the mantle of one of the king's legendary "Green Rider" Messengers with a life or death message. I just need to pick it up and finish it already or GIVE UP. 


14. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
I keep saying I need to read more Neil Gaiman. That's pretty much the only reason this is on the list - it's the most well-known of his works. 


15. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale  
I adore fairy-tales and fairy tale retellings, and so many of my friends have told me to pick up Shannon Hale. This book is a retelling of the famous Goose Girl fairy tale, which I've always found a very cute story. I tried reading Hale's Book of a Thousand Days and really didn't like the writing style, but I've owned The Goose Girl for a few years now, and I am hoping this book has a different style of writing that I enjoy more. I've been saying "Next year" to this book for so long (8 years?) that if I don't read it this year I think it is finally time to give up. On the plus side, if I do like it this is the first in the Books of Bayern series so I will have three more books to enjoy!


16. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sara J. Maas (ACOTAR #3) 

I bought this book the day it came out but I just haven't been in the mood to finish the ACOTAR trilogy. I have a very love/hate relationship with Sarah J. Maas and so I just don't find myself eager to reach for this series, plus I have heard very mixed reviews. I really did enjoy ACOTAR and ACOWAR when they came out - I loved the world Maas had built, I love dark faerie stories and the chemistry between Rhysand and Feyre was electric. However; there are so many things about this series that irks me, and even concerns me upon further re-reads (I promise to one day write a blog post about my love/hate relationship with Sarah J. Maas novels). However; I do want to finish the trilogy, and remain cautiously optimistic that the book ends well! I just need to push through and finish it - and hopefully I will actually be in the mood this year to pick it up! 


17. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta 
Last year I read a fantasy quartet that I had been putting off for years after seeing so many bloggers talk about it - and that series was The Demon KIng. I've decided to give another fantasy series I've never read a try this year (despite the awful cover) because I ended up loving The Demon King so much - and this year it is The Lumatere Chroinciles by Melina Marchetta. This book follows Finnikin and his guardian, Sir Topher, 10 years after the destruction of their kingdom who go on a quest to possibly find the missing heir to their kingdom's throne. I know very little beyond this, but everyone who loves Cinda Williams Chima seems to love Melina Marchetta as well so I am really looking forward to getting to this series this year. 


18. Poison Study Trilogy by Maria V. Snyder 

Poison Study is one of my favourite books of all time - it follows the story of Yelena, a prisoner who is given the chance of her freedom if she becomes the King's new poison tester for a year and survives. It is absolutely magical - Yelena is an amazing depiction of a strong survivor, and Valek is one of my top book crushes of all time! However I've never actually read the second or third books in the trilogy because I was so nervous they wouldn't live up to the very high expectations set by the first one. I think 2018 is the year to see if they live up to the first one and finish this series - and hopefully discover some new all time favourites in the process! 

As you can see, 2018 is the year I am going to finish quite a few series I own! 2018 is the year of finishing series you've started! What books (or series) are you planning to get to in 2018? 

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